Method and means for separating defective from perfect cigarettes



June 24, 1924. 1,499,205

G. c. EKsTR6M ET AL METHOD AND- MEANS FOR SEPARATING DEFECTIVE FROMPERFECT CIGARETTES Filed July '7. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 r Ill/00127701166. GEJLSZRJJZI/ JJQ-EJOJQRGOZZ/ June 24, 1924. 1,499,205

G. c. EKSTRCSM ET A1.

METHOD AND-MEAN$ FOR SEPARATING DEFECTIVE FROM PERFECT OIGARETTES FiledJuly '7. 1921 I 5 Sheets Sheet 2 lax/812230 June24, 1924. j 1,499,205

G. c. EKSTROM ET AL METHOD AND MEANS FOR SEPARATING DEFECTIVE FROMPERFECT CIGARETTES Filed July 7. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 24,1924.

UNITED STATES GUNNAR CHRISTIAN EKSTRQM AND BROLB, ANDEB-S EMIL J OHNSOBLOF STOCKHOLMQ aeaizes PATENToFFicE.

SJTEDEN, ASSIGNORS T0 AK'IIEBOLAGET GER'H. AREHNS MEKANISK A VERKSTAD,OF STOCKHOLM, SVIEDEN, A CDRPORAIION 0F SWEDEN. i

METHOD AND MEANS FOR SEPARATING DEFECTIVE FROM PERFECT CIGARETTES.

Application filed July 7,

T0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, GUNNAR CHRISTIANEKs'rRoM, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident ofEriksbergsgatan 14, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, and BROR ANDnRsEMIL JOHNSON, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident ofObservatoriegatan 7, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Methods and Means forSeparating Defective from Perfect Cigarettes, of which the following isa specifi cation, reference being had therein to the acompanyingdrawings. 7

During the charging or filling action of cigarette tubes with tobacco itsometimes happens, that some tubes are not at all charged or areincompletely charged or that the tubes are compressed longitudinally, sothat the paper tube bursts or the cigarette is broken or becomesdefective in other respects. The separation of empty tubes and broken ordefective cigarettes has heretofore been effected manually. If theperson, who effects the said separation, does not pay due attention tothe work, it may happen that empty tubes and defective cigarettes accompany the perfect cigarettes and are introduced into the boxes etc. Inorder to prevent such faults the said separation according to thisinvention is effected automatically. The present method is based uponthe fact that, concerning cigarettes provided with mouth pieces of paperor the like, the centre of gravity of an empty tube or a. tubeincompletely charged with tobacco is located nearer to the mouth piece(or on the same) than the centre of gravity of a filled cigarette. Itwill be the same if the cigarette is compressed longitudinally.According to the invention the cigarettes are moved along a path,carrying the same and so arranged, that perfect cigarettes are sustainedduring their whole travel along the said path, while defectivecigarettes are deprived of their support either by the path havingparts, sustaining the cigarettes, which are located at a distance fromeach other, which is greater than the length of the broken or compressedcigarette, or by the centre of gravity of the defective cigarette or theempty tube being located outside the path,

1921. Serial No. 483,065.

so that the cigarette or tube loses its balance and tumbles down fromthe path.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. .1 shows in a side view and Fig. 2in aplan View a device for carrying'out the said separating method. Fig. 3shows in aplan view aseconddevice for separating empty tubes.

nary conveyer or feed drum. All figures show the devicesdiagrammatically.

YVith particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2, there. is providedayrotating drum l which is formed in its peripherical surface withgrooves, receiving cigarette tubes 2 provided ina funnel shapedreceptacle 3..and moving the said tubes to a device adapted to chargethe tubes with tobacco. The said device may be of any suitableconstruction and is not shown. The charged tubes are delivered on apath, consisting of a thread 8, 9, 8 9 carried by groove pulleys 4, 5, 6and 7. The lower crossed parts 9 of the said thread are shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2. The shaft 10 of the pulleys 4 and 6 is rotated by anysuitable means The cig arettes aremoved forward bythe parts 8, 8 andguided by two parallel threads 11 and 11 driven by. pulleys 12 on theshaft 10. The part 8 is parallel with the guide .thread 11. The part 8on the other hand successively approaches the part 8. The greatestdistance between the parts 8, 8 is so adapted, that cigarettes greatlycompressed longitudinally and broken cigarettes cannot be sustained bythe parts 8, 8 but fall down through the space between the same. Theminimum distance between the parts 8, 8 is so adapted, that the centreof gravity of perfect cigarettes is located somewhat inside the part 8i. e. between the parts 8, 8 so thatthe cigarettes remain on the saidparts and are transported by the same to a second conveyer, consistingfor instance of two parallel threads 13, driven by groove pulleys 14:.Empty or incontipletely charged tubes and cigarettes compressedlongitudinally on the other hand, the centre of gravity of which, asstated above, is located on or nearer to the mouth piece, arrive duringthe transportation to apart of the path, which is so narrow, that thecentre of gravity is positioned outside the part 8 The said tubes anddefective cigarettes then lose their balance and fall down from theconveyer. In this manner empty tubes and defective cigarettes are in anautomatical and reliable manner separated from the perfect cigarettes.

In the device shown in Fig. 3, 11, 11 designate the guide threads. Thecigarettes are delivered on a path, consisting of a thread 15 and threethreads 16, 17 and 18 parallel with the said thread 15. The distancebetween the threads 15 and 16 is so great, that greatly compressed orbroken cigarettes fall down through the space between the said threads.Perfect cigarettes as well as somewhat compressed cigarettes and emptytubes or incompletely charged tubes on the other hand remain on thethreads. The distance between the threads 17 and 15 is so adapted, thatperfect cigarettes remain on the threads, while empty tubes. anddefective cigarettes fall down. The perfect cigarettes are furthertransported by the threads 15 and 18. All the said threads are guidedand driven by groove pulleys.

In thedevice shown'in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive the cigarettes 2 aretransported on a path comprising a stationary bar 19 and stationary bars20, 21, 22 and 23 parallel with the said bar 19. The space between thebars 19 and 20 is so great, that greatly compressed cigarettes or brokencigarettes fall down between the. bars. The space between the bars 19and 21 is somewhat shorter than the space between the bars 19 and 20,and the space between the bars 19 and 22 is somewhat shorter than thespace between the bars 19 and 21. The space between the bars '19 and 22is so adapted, that perfect cigarettes may be moved on the same withoutfalling down. I Vhen empty tubes or defective cigarettes on the otherhand are moved on the bars 19 and 22, their point of gravity is locatedoutside the bar 22, so that the said cigarettes lose their balance andfall down. For the moving of the cigarettes, duly guided,'on the saidpath, bars 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 are provided, located longitudinally ofthe. bars 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 respectively and close to the same. Thesaid bars 19 to 23 inclusive are formed by the one edge of a plate 29and upwardly bent lugs provided on the same. The bars 24 to 28 inclusiveare formed in the same manner from a plate 30. All the said bars areprovided in their top edges with notch es 38, adapted to receive thecigarettes. The plate 30is moved by a suitable driving mechanism forwardand backward longitudinally and upward and downward, so that the bars 24to 28 inclusive, when moved upward, catch by means of their notchescigarettes located in the notches of the bars 19 to 23 inclusive andthen move the said cig arettes toward the left for a distance equal tothe distance between the notches. As the plate 30 is then lowered thebars 24 to 28 inclusive leave the cigarettes into the notches of thebars 19 to 23 inclusive. The space between the bars 24 and 25 is sogreat, that broken cigarettes etc. can not be supported by the same.Broken cigarettes etc. fall down through openings 31 provided in theplates 29 and 30.

In the device shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the separation of defectivecigarettes and empty tubes is effected during the transporting of sameby reason of the drum' 1. When the device is provided in a machinecharging the tubes with tobacco,'the charging operation may take placeat 32. The cigarettes then arrive on a supporting path,shown indeveloped position in Fig. 8. The said path comprises two parallel parts33, 34, so spaced that broken cigarettes etc. are not supported by thesame but fall down. Perfect cigarettes as well as somewhat compressedcigarettes and empty tubes or incompletely charged cigarettes aretransported, suitably guided, on the part 34 and a part 35 extendingtoward the part 34 in an oblique direction and arrive on a part 36,which is so narrow, that the centre of gravity of compressed ordefective cigarettes and empty tubes will be located outside the saidpart and fall down. In order that the drum 1 may not prevent thedefective cigarettes and the tubes from falling down from the said path,the space between the path and the drum successively increases, so thatthere is a space great enough to permit the said cigarettes etc. to turnover. Also a path concentric with the drum may be used, if the spacebetween the path and the drum is suflicient for the said purpose. Theperfect cigarettes are further transported by a path comprising threads,as shown.

Fingers 37, extending into peripherical grooves in the druml, Figs. 1and 4, cause cigarettes, which may have been ammed in the grooves, toleave the grooves. Similar fingers may also be provided in the formshown in Fig. 7.

In the device shown in Fig. 3 a third thread may be provided inaccordance with the bar 21 shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive. Thetransition from the'broad part to the narrowest part of the path willthen not be so sudden. The successive approaching of the one border ofthe path to the other border, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, is speciallysuitable, owing to the fact that the cigarettes are then graduallysubjected to the examination.

The present method as well as the devices for carrying out the same maybe used in or adapted to machines, charging the tubes with tobacco, butalso to machines constructed especially for separating empty tubes anddefective cigarettes from perfect cigarettes and also to machines forcharging bags, boxes and the like with cigarettes. Also, concerningcigarettes without mouth piece, broken or compressed cigarettes may beseparated from perfect cigarettes in the manner stated above and bymeans of the devices in question.

Also other devices than those shown in the drawings for effecting theautomatical separation may evidently be used. The path effecting theremoving of the defective cigarettes and the empty tubes must notnecessarily be located in immediate succession to the path, on whichbroken cigarettes etc. are removed.

lVe claim.

1. The method of automatically separating defective cigarettes fromperfect cigarettes consisting in moving the cigarettes, suitably guided,along a path, and withdrawing the support of the said cigarettes to suchextent, that empty or incompletely charged tubes or cigarettescompressed longitudinally will have their center of ravity locatedoutside the path and in consequence thereof fall down from the same.

2. The method of automatically separating defective cigarettes fromperfect cigarettes consisting in moving the cigarettes suitably guidedalong a path, by which perfect cigarettes are sustained near their endsand waste cigarettes are not sustained,'and then further move thecigarettes on the said path and withdrawing the support of thecigarettes to such extent, that empty or incompletely charged tubes orcigarettes compressed longitudinally will have their cenin consequencethereof fall down rom the same.

3. In a device for separating defective cigarettes from perfectcigarettes the combination of members located side by side andconstituting a path on which the cigarettes are moved, means guiding thecigarettes thus moved, the said members approaching each other in themotion direction, until the path becomes so narrow that the center ofgravity of empty or incompletely charged tubes and cigarettes compressedlongitudinally comes outside the path and the said cigarettes fall downfrom the path, and means located at the ends of the members forconveying the perfect cigarettes subsequent to the passage over themembers.

4. In a devlce for separating defective cigarettes from perfectcigarettes the combination of members located side by side V andconstituting a path on which the cigarettes are moved means guiding thecigarettes thus moved, the distance between the said members at theentrance of the path being'so great that waste cigarettes are notsustained, the members then approaching each other in the motiondirection, until the path becomes so narrow, that the center of gravityof empty or incompletely charged tubes and cigarettes compressedlongitudinally comes outside the path and the said cigarettes fall downfrom the path, and means located immediately adjacent said members forconveying perfect cigarettes subsequent to the passage of the lat terover the members.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

GUNNAR CHRISTIAN EKSTRM. BROR ANDERS EMIL JOHNSON. Witnesses:

INEZ BOERSON, STINA LARSON.

